A Flower in the Slums
by Turk 4 Life
Summary: Like a precious bloom, Aerith Gainsborough stood no chance against the tides of fate. She bloomed prettily and stood strong for so long, only to quickly wilt and return to the soil- to begin anew. (A tribute to the life of Aerith Gainsborough and her legacy as the slum's bright, cheerful and strong-willed flower girl.)
1. Innocent Eyes

**A.N: _Hi all! Yeah... apparently exam period is when my muse flairs up. I was listening to Aerith's theme as I was studying about Eyewitness Testimony and I ended up planning a whole short fic pertaining to the relationships different characters may have had with Aerith throughout her short, sweet life. Funnily enough, Aerith had never been a favourite character of mine- I actually only liked her because she made Zack happy (HAHAHAHA elitist fangirl=me), but then, after reading Womble619's fics and his wonderful portrayal of her, I found myself growing fond of Aerith :) So, here's my tribute to her._**

 ** _The chapters will be rather short compared to my other on-going fics, but that's the whole point of the fic. These are just snapshots :D_**

 ** _I hope you all enjoy! Read and Review people- the reviews will get me through this exam period LOL_**

 ** _DISCLAIMER: I do not own anything except my ideas._**

* * *

 **Chapter One: Innocent Eyes**

When Tseng was assigned to watch their target, he was expecting absolute chaos. A child, seven years of age, was bound to be a complete nightmare after all. Nonetheless, as the stoic professional stepped into the run-down church in the slums, he couldn't help but raise his eyebrows at the hunched frame of a tiny girl tending to a small patch of greenery amongst the splintering floor boards.

Her chestnut brown hair hung down her back in a long braid, moving as the fragile child reached forward into the patch of green with enthusiasm. Cherubically chubby fingers gently parted the lush grass into two parts, revealing a small bud amongst the weeds.

"Sir, come see! It's a flower bud!" the little girl exclaimed enthusiastically, not noticing the momentarily surprised look on Tseng's face as the Turk wondered how the little girl had managed to detect his presence.

And then he remembered.

She was an Ancient- of course she could detect the fluctuations of the Lifestream when living beings came and went. Tseng smirked to himself and stepped forward, both curious and wary. It was unheard of to spot blooms within the slums- there was not enough sunlight to sustain any living thing for a long amount of time.

Tseng frowned as he registered the paleness of his target's skin.

The slums were no place for a little girl.

Especially one so important for the future of the world.

"Are you here by yourself?" Tseng asked, his tone flat. The young girl stood carefully and brushed her soiled hands against her pink and blue summer dress. She turned around and tilted her head innocently as she regarded the suited man with curiosity.

Tseng held his breath as his target's clear, green eyes stared up at him, innocently. There seemed to be a sense of loneliness in the young girl's eyes, yet still, she smiled up at him in a brilliant display of childish amusement.

"No, you're here with me, Mr. Bodyguard!" Tseng took a surprised step back at the child's declaration. After his momentary shock at her surprisingly accurate guess of his occupation, Tseng made eye contact with his target yet again.

"My name is Tseng." The girl nodded thoughtfully as she took a step forward. Tseng frowned as the girl reached up and tugged at the sleeve of his immaculate uniform.

She got dirt all over it.

Still, Tseng allowed himself to be tugged down into a kneeling position so that he was at eye-level with his young target.

The pretty child blinked almost blankly at Tseng before she broke out into a wide grin.

"I'm Aerith Gainsborough! My mom's at home- we live in Sector Five!" Aerith shoved her dirty hands into Tseng's field of view, wiggling her chubby digits with fervour. Tseng nodded at his target's fingers and surprised himself as he pulled out a clean handkerchief from his uniform pocket and draped it gently over the young girl's hands.

"It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Aerith. You seem to have made quite the mess," Tseng pointed out, his features forming a grimace as he attempted to remove the dirt from his uniform using his hands. Aerith stuck her tongue out of the corner of her mouth rather adorably as she concentrated solely on cleaning her hands with Tseng's handkerchief before she settled her large, green eyes on the stoic man's presences once again.

"I like to touch the soil. It's warm and it makes me feel safe," Aerith shivered and averted her gaze from Tseng as she said this, almost as if she recalled a bad memory.

Feeling compelled to do so, Tseng kneeled down and placed a tentative hand on Aerith's small shoulder- attempting to comfort the obviously spooked child.

In such a small amount of time, the child had done the impossible.

She had charmed the company man. She had won over Tseng of the Turks.

Her innocent eyes had charmed Tseng in a way no other ever could.

"People say blue skies mean freedom. When Mommy got hurt, she asked the sky for help. She died. I don't like the sky. It's scary." Aerith's speech pattern was strange, but rung with truth and a hint of betrayal. Tseng gently squeezed his target's shoulder and stood. Aerith turned and watched Tseng's retreating back momentarily before her eyes widened in panic. "I'm sorry for being sad! Don't leave!"

Taken aback by the young girl's words, Tseng allowed himself yet another glance at those clear, green eyes before he let out a small sigh.

"It's getting late. You are expected to be home soon, I assume?" Tseng fought at the niggling order in his mind to bring the girl back to ShinRa… to the labs where Hojo wanted her. But one look into her innocent eyes rendered Tseng helpless to her unintentional charm. He couldn't feed her to the lions… not when she was like this.

He'd wait until she got older.

Until she could protect herself.

Until then…

Tseng looked down at the look of bashful indecisiveness on his young target's face. Tseng couldn't help but chuckle as he gestured at the doors of the church.

"I'll take you home, don't be afraid." Aerith glanced up, her eyes lit up with an expression Tseng couldn't put a name to.

A few moments later, as Aerith slipped her hand into his, she flashed Tseng a charming grin before she pulled him forward towards her home, speaking of hot cocoa and butter cookies shaped like chocobos.

It was as Tseng reluctantly sipped a cup of cocoa served to him in a moogle mug that Elmyra Gainsborough shot the infamous ShinRa assassin a weary look.

"She adores you. Please, don't hurt her." Aerith turned her clear green gaze towards her adopted mother with a toothy smile.

"He's my body guard, mom. He's _protecting_ me. And he's my friend- he looked at the garden with me today." Tseng smiled and nodded curtly as Aerith turned her gaze to him. Happy with his response, Aerith turned back to her cookies with enthusiasm. Elmyra sighed and shook her head before levelling Tseng with a sad stare before placing a plate of butter cookies before him.

Tseng's eyes widened as Elmyra offered him a tentative smile.

"Thank you, then. You're welcome to come and go as you wish, so long as you keep my daughter safe from harm." Elmyra spoke quietly. Tseng nodded before he could even rationalise his actions.

"You have my word. My Turks and I will protect Aerith's innocence for as long as we are permitted to." Elmyra smiled and nodded at the stoic man's serious words.

"That is all I can ask for."

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 **Note:  
** Drop me a line if you found this interesting :D This fic will only last ten chapters and it's all planned out, so opinions and views are very much appreciated! Also, I use Australian language and spelling conventions, so hopefully that doesn't put too many people off. I made an effort to spell 'mum' with an 'o', so yay! xD


	2. Bad Boy

**A.N: _Here's the next installment! Thanks for the review Womble buddy! :D This fic is actually such a good de-stresser after long days of studying! So I am glad you enjoyed the first chapter. Now, really, this is my last update despite having Chapter Three ready to be published. This is because I really need to get into full on revision mode xD But really everyone, thanks for reading! :)_**

 ** _On with the chapter!_**

* * *

 **Chapter Two: Bad Boy**

Elmyra glared at Tseng as he levelled the angry mother with a poker face.

"She's hurt!" the upset woman screeched loudly. Aerith frowned and winced as she moved to take cover from her mother's wrath behind Tseng. The twelve year old Ancient grasped at Tseng's arm from behind and took a tentative glance at her livid mother.

"Mom, it's just a scratch—" Elmyra's glare softened as she regarded her scared daughter. Letting out a sigh, the woman gestured towards the trail of red running down Aerith's arm.

"It needs disinfecting and a bandage." As Elmyra spoke, the Gainsborough's front door slammed open dramatically, making way for the Turks' newest recruit- Reno.

Striding in without a care in the world, Reno ran a hand through his shockingly red bangs and raised his eyebrows at the tense scene he'd rudely intruded on in the living room.

"Boss, you're still chatting? We've got shit to do!" Elmyra gasped at the young, unkempt man's foul language, grabbing his attention. Shooting the older woman a wide grin, Reno tapped his inactive electro-mag rod lazily against his shoulder. "What's up, 'Myra? You look like shit. Been worryin' about little doll face over there?" Reno aimed a flirtatious wink at Aerith, who immediately blushed and pressed herself closer to her trusted body guard.

Tseng could only roll his eyes before he attempted to extract a shy Aerith from his person. With a little difficulty, Tseng managed to detangle himself from a pre-pubescent Aerith before he held her shoulders at an arm's length from himself. Levelling a stern stare at her, Tseng glanced at a worried Elmyra.

"Your mother's right, Aerith. Go to the bathroom and gather the medical supplies. Bring them here and I'll wrap that up for you." Tseng instructed, ignoring Reno's confused frown.

"Yo, we could just use a Cure…" Elmyra frowned and cocked an eyebrow at an exasperated Tseng.

"He's one of _your_ men?" Elmyra asked incredulously. Tseng nodded. The older woman shook her head in pity. Reno saw this and scowled, rubbing at his facial tattoos.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Reno challenged. Tseng turned to his subordinate and shook his head calmly.

"Stop. Sit down and wait, if you must. Don't say or do anything stupid. Be grateful Mrs. Gainsborough has allowed you to remain on her property after the way you barged in." Tseng remarked coldly before he shot an apologetic look at a grateful looking Elmyra before making his way towards the bathroom Aerith was yet to emerge from.

Stepping into to blue-themed room, Tseng noted Aerith sitting on the edge of the bathtub with an uncharacteristically petulant frown on her face. Raising his eyebrows, Tseng kneeled before the young girl and looked up in silent question.

Aerith sighed and hugged the first-aid kit towards her chest.

"Tseng, I feel weird when Reno's around…" Aerith admitted rather reluctantly under Tseng's interrogative stare. Eyes widened minutely, Tseng cleared his throat and gently pried the first-aid kit from his young target's arms.

Looking at the cut, Tseng recalled how Aerith managed to clumsily run into a splintered column in the church after being startled by Reno's unannounced presence.

"Do you feel unsafe?" Tseng prodded as he brought out disinfectant and cotton wool. Aerith absentmindedly reached for clean bandages and placed them on her shorts-clad lap with a small sigh.

"No, that's not it. He just… makes me feel strangely… happy?" Aerith ended with an upward inflection. She yelped in pain as the disinfectant stung at her wound. Tseng apologised under his breath as he pondered Aerith's words. As he finished cleaning her wound, Tseng's lips stretched out into a rare grin. Aerith pouted in confusion as she handed her body guard the bandages from her lap. "What's so funny?" she demanded in her soft voice.

"You," Tseng glanced up at Aerith's innocently dazed eyes in amusement, "have a crush on our resident bad boy. Don't worry… its normal for girls your age." Aerith's eyes widened at Tseng's remark before she blushed and shook her head.

"What do I do now?" she asked shyly as Tseng finished tucking the edge of the bandage into a crease in the wound cloth. Tseng regarded the brunette with an amused look before shrugging and standing up straight.

"Either forget about him or confess- it's up to you, really." Tseng offered ambiguously. He watched as Aerith's eyes reflected confusion, fear and then determination in sequence before she pushed passed him and back down the stairs and into the living room. Following behind her slowly, Tseng folded his arms as he watched a determined Aerith march up to Reno, who was sprawled out on a floral loveseat, eyes absolutely disinterested as he stared at Elmyra's coffee table.

"Reno, I…" Aerith began, suddenly sounding uncomfortable. Elmyra frowned at her young daughter, not comfortable with her close proximity to the delinquent boy currently occupying her living room. Tseng sighed and merely glanced at his wrist watch before fondly watching his charge's first ever confession. "I think I love you!" Aerith declared stubbornly before turning a violent shade of pink and running straight into Tseng's ready arms in embarrassment. Elmyra stared between the two Turks in her living room before erupting.

" _ **What?!**_ " she glared murderously at Reno, who bolted up on the couch, frantically shaking his hands in front of his face.

"Chill woman! She's _twelve_! I'm not into that shit." Aerith whimpered in Tseng's arms as she looked up to shoot a hurt glance at Tseng.

"He doesn't feel the same…" she whispered before dissolving into tears. Tseng ran his fingers through Aerith's brown locks as he levelled a glare at Reno. Elmyra, seeing Aerith's emotional reaction, frowned and turned her gaze towards a surprisingly intimidated looking Reno.

"You are going to _kindly_ explain to my Aerith exactly _why_ you are not worthy of being anything but 'that Turk that looks like a fire hydrant' to her. Once you've done that, dinner should be ready." Reno raised his eyebrows, despite his intimidated state.

"You're feedin' me?" Reno asked incredulously. Elmyra nodded stiffly.

"Aerith likes you. I _have_ to be hospitable. And we're having fish- that's good for the brain, and the Goddess only knows how much you need it!" Reno smirked at Elmyra before he fully understood her words.

Reno jumped up in protest as he watched Elmyra victoriously walk into her kitchen. With a sigh, Reno turned to Tseng- who was still holding a quietly sobbing Aerith- and made his way over to the love-sick girl with a heavy heart.

Reno had always prided himself in being a heart breaker… but he absolutely abhorred being the bad guy who made the sweet Ancient cry.

* * *

 **Note:** I always imagined Reno to be Aerith's first crush since he's the handsome bad boy type and young girls are an absolute sucker for bad guys (personal experience...). Plus, she's had so much contact with the Turks, I'm sure she developed childish feelings for the flirtatious red head somewhere along the way xD And of course, Elmyra would probably have freaked out if she found out. This was legit so fun to write xD Hope you guys enjoy! Replies to reviews will come on or after the 27th of June :)


	3. Flower Girl

**A.N: _Exams are over for now, FFVII remake has been officially confirmed. I got my hands on a vintage copy of Shakespeare's Complete works for a really cheap price... life is great! :D_**

 ** _Hope you all enjoy the latest installment!_**

 ** _Thanks for the follows, favourites, reviews and views :) I'll reply to reviews just as soon as I finish catching up with the fics I've missed out on reviewing :D_**

* * *

 **Chapter Three: Flower Girl**

Cissnei stood between Tseng and Reno, a yellow and white flower crown adorning the top of her head. Shooting a highly amused Reno an annoyed look, the copper haired Turk turned her gaze towards a fourteen year old Aerith Gainsborough.

The young brunette was crouched down before her flourishing flower garden in the crumbling Sector Five church. As the flower girl carefully weeded her garden, she hummed a sweet tune- most likely a lullaby of some sort. Out of the corner of her eyes, Cissnei caught Tseng close his eyes for longer than necessary before he tilted his head and let out what could only be labelled as a content sigh.

Cissnei shook her head and found the corners of her lips turn upwards into a small smile as her hand rose to touch her personally made flower crown. Reno sniggered from beside her, catching the attention of their target.

"It's nearly done, Reno! I made yours entirely out of white flowers- so that it wouldn't look strange when you wear it," Aerith smiled over her shoulder. Cissnei grinned at Aerith's 'thoughtful' gesture. Reno looked on at their young target with a shocked expression.

"What? You want me to wear that thing, doll?" Aerith giggled and nodded as she turned around, looking satisfied with the flower crown she held in her hands. Tseng smirked and turned his attentions to the crumbling rafters overhead. His grin dropped slightly as he began to calculate the probability of the rafters harming Aerith during one of her visits to the church, if ever one was to call from the roof. He was shook out of his reverie when Reno let out a shout of protest. Tseng narrowed his eyes at the red-head, only to have his gaze soften at the sight of Aerith's playful grin as she wrestled Reno's unkempt head in an effort to place her masterpiece on him. Cissnei let out a quiet giggle as she exchanged looks with her superior.

"She's quite stubborn." Cissnei remarked in a quiet, yet amused voice. Tseng stepped forward, passively observing Aerith and Reno as they interacted in a spirited manner. Crossing his arms, Tseng nodded in agreement.

"One has to be, when dealing with the likes of Reno." Tseng offered.

Reno frowned at his superior's words, ceasing his struggle against the deceptively fragile looking young girl to voice his opinion.

"What do you mean by _the likes of Reno_ , yo? I'm perfectly reasonable when the opposing party is reasonable to me!" Aerith cheered as she finally managed to place the pretty looking flower crown on Reno's messy hair. "Shit, I've been marked by the Pansy Princess…"

"Language, Reno!" Aerith chided softly before stepping backwards and clasping her hands behind her back as she regarded Reno with a critical eye. Breaking into a soft smile, Aerith clapped her hands in front of her excitedly. "It's perfect! You look like one of those boys in the magazines!" Aerith declared proudly. Reno sighed and shook his head before he stood up and dusted his uniform off. Thumbing the flower crown atop his head, he had half the mind to wrench the damn thing off and throw it into Aerith's prized flower garden. However, one look into Aerith's happy and satisfied eyes had even Reno re-thinking his brash actions.

"Yeah, whatever. Don't go expectin' me to play dress-up for ya any day soon, yo." Reno deadpanned before glancing at an amused looking Tseng. "Shut up. Don't say a word, man. Just tell us what we gotta do and we'll get back to work, deal?" Reno spoke, defeated. Tseng nodded and glanced at his two young operatives who were adorned with flower crowns.

"Surveillance in Wall Market. You know who and you know what to look out for," Tseng spoke ambiguously. Reno and Cissnei nodded back at him, understanding clear in their eyes. Cissnei reached up to pull her flower crown off her head, only to stop at Aerith's frantic cries.

"No! Keep them on! They'll protect you," Aerith bit her lips softly before looking at the Turks with imploring eyes. "Think of them as good luck charms. You could also sell them, or give them away to children who want them if you really don't like the crowns…" Aerith trailed off, a hint of disappointment in her voice.

Surprisingly perceptive, Reno stepped forward and shot Aerith a flirty wink as he readjusted his crown atop his head.

"Are you kiddin' me, doll face? Not everyone's got access to premium blooms like this under the plate. I don't know about Cissnei, but I'm gonna flaunt what I got!" Cissnei nodded from beside Reno, catching on to Reno's act.

In the books, she may have just been their 'target', but Cissnei had begun to regard Aerith as a sister. She couldn't bear to upset her.

"That's right. I've always wanted to wear one of these around town, anyways. Thank you Aerith! I'll see you soon, okay?" Aerith nodded as her two surrogate siblings bid her goodbye before leaving her in the church with her original protector. Turning towards Tseng, she frowned slightly.

"What's wrong Aerith?" Tseng questioned, confused as to why her demeanour changed all of a sudden. Aerith sighed and smiled guiltily up at the older man.

"You guys do so much… to make me smile and keep me safe. I feel a little scared of the future sometimes," Aerith smiled sadly. Tseng felt a pang in his heart as he looked at Aerith- no- at his target. "I get this feeling that I'm going to get hurt really badly, and you guys won't be there to protect me. And so, I need to be stronger. I can't just sit around tending to my garden and making you flower crowns. I don't want to be weak, but at the same time, I'm terrified of being left to protect myself." Aerith ranted, her soft voice conveying worries that were beyond her time. Tseng inhaled sharply before stepping forward and placing his hand atop Aerith's soft hair.

"As long as I am alive, you will never be alone. I can't speak for Reno and Cissnei, but it is probably they hold the same sentiments. As for protecting yourself, you raise a valid point. You are much too young now, but when the time comes, I shall discreetly arrange for some combat lessons tailored to your strengths." Tseng spoke formally, but there was a sense of tenderness in his tone.

Only for Aerith.

Aerith nodded, her eyes wide and mouth beginning to form a small smile.

"Cissnei and Reno aren't _that much_ older than me. They're already…" Aerith gulped, suddenly unwilling to speak of her friends' bloody occupations. In the back of her mind, the young flower girl remembered that Tseng was also… _one of them_.

Tseng noted the change in his charge's demeanour and nodded in recognition.

"They are assassins, trained at a young age. They had nowhere else to go… no talents to fall back on. They're nobodies, much like myself. They operate under aliases and carry out the will of ShinRa, no matter what that may involve. It is necessary for them to know how to protect ourselves _and_ dispose of others. Much like myself." Tseng said, not even bothering to hide the brutal, bitter truth from the innocent girl standing before him.

Aerith blinked up, with her impossible wide, green eyes.

"You're wrong." Aerith said, her voice surprisingly forceful.

"I beg your pardon?" Tseng immediately shot back in surprise. Aerith clenched her fists against her long dress and nodded to herself before speaking.

"I said you're wrong. You guys aren't _nobodies_. To me, you're not. To me, you're my best friends who care for me and protect me. To me, you are merciful and kind and loyal. To me, you are family. I don't like ShinRa," Aerith spoke sadly, "they make you guys sad." Tseng stared at Aerith, eyes wide, as he deciphered her emotional words.

"I… don't agree with you," Tseng countered weakly. Aerith sighed and tugged on her side bangs in thought before her eyes lit up with new, determined resolve.

"Well, even if you don't agree with me… I know that if it comes down to it- you'll choose to protect me no matter what." Aerith stated, an honest and determined glint in her eyes. Tseng almost winced as the young girl's words rang in his ears.

It hurt to hear the girl speak so confidently of his perceived loyalty towards her. Especially when he knew that this blissful, peaceful childhood of Aerith's couldn't possibly last whilst she remained in constant direct contact with himself and his Turks.

"Don't trust so blindly, Aerith. The world's full of monsters." Tseng spoke cryptically, hating himself as he stared into the defiant eyes of his target.

"You'll protect me from those monsters. I know you will."

Tseng sighed and averted his gaze before turning his back to the teenaged flower girl.

Hearing of her unfaltering belief in his ability to protect her from all the world's evils, Tseng immediately made up his mind.

This had to stop.

He was too attached to the target.

The company _always_ came first.

This had to _stop_.

Glancing over his shoulder, Tseng's glare softened as he caught sight of Aerith obediently packing her things and making her way over to him, like always.

Tseng focused his gaze on the failing doors of the crumbling church and nodded to himself.

This would be the last time…

After this… he'd watch from afar.

It was for the best.

"I'll take you home… come."

Aerith nodded, a sweet smile settling on her lips as she slipped her arm into her bodyguard's.

As they approached her familiar home, Aerith withdrew from Tseng and stared up at him with wide, imploring eyes.

"I'll see you tomorrow?" Aerith asked softly.

Not for the first time in his life, Tseng lied to an innocent. However, this time it was different.

This time, he lied to his flower girl.

A sin… that could never be forgiven.

"Yes. Good evening Aerith." And with that, he turned on his heel and calmly walked away from the Gainsborough residence, his heart heavy.

It was for the best.

* * *

 **Note:  
** I don't even really remember what I wrote for this chapter LOL I wrote this like two weeks ago before exams really started to kick my butt xD  
Leave me a comment with your opinions about this, since I'm worried I'm getting all the characters OOC! :O **Special thanks to Womble619 for being such an enthusiastic reviewer of all my recent works xD**


	4. She Fell for the Hero

**A.N: _Short but sweet update for this fic :) I was trying to make it longer, but then I stopped and shook my head as I realised that making this longer would just take away from the sweetness and ambiguity of the interaction. Therefore, I just left it as it is!_**

 ** _Thanks Womble619 for the helpful and enthused reviews, as always :D_**

 ** _Enjoy! :)_**

* * *

 **Chapter Four: She Fell for the Hero**

* * *

Tseng almost jumped out of his hiding spot when an unidentified body came crashing through the church's rafters. However, when he caught a glimpse of who it was, the Turks' second-in-command merely shook his head and remained crouched behind foliage.

Aerith screamed in shock and skittered away from her blooming flowers, clearly afraid that she was staring at the body of a dead man. However, when the flower girl noticed the steady rise and fall of the man's chest, she sighed in relief and took a few tentative steps towards him.

Tseng averted his gaze, not willing to watch Aerith curiously poke and prod at the flirtatious SOLDIER First Class.

He could already tell Zack was going to say something incredibly cheesy, wooing his innocent Aerith instantly.

Tseng frowned at his thoughts. The flower girl was in no way _his_ \- after two years of forcefully isolating the young girl, he'd surely lost his right to call her his _anything_.

Tseng heard a pained groan which was quickly followed by a short gasp of surprise. The Turk caught Aerith leaning down towards the raven haired SOLDIER, her whole body speaking volumes about her curiosity. Tseng almost rolled his eyes as Zack's pained voice predictably uttered some terribly cheesy lines directed at the shocked- yet curious- flower girl.

"... an angel?"

Aerith giggled slightly and shook her head. Tseng watched as Zack slowly sat himself, and despite his obvious pain, he smirked up at Aerith.

Tseng's fists clenched tighter at his sides.

 _That punk_.

"Heaven?" he asked, humour in his tone. Aerith smiled and shook her head, her eyes shining brightly so that even Tseng could see her charmed expression from a distance.

"Not quite. Church in the slums," Aerith amended, taking a step back and suddenly turning her back to Zack. Tseng couldn't help but break out into a knowing smile.

Aerith was nervous.

The teen spun on her heel and pointed at the new hole amongst the old church rafters.

"I was here looking after my flowers, as usual, when you feel out of the sky! The flowers must have cushioned your fall." Aerith spoke in her pleasant tone. Tseng let out a silent snort of laughter.

His target was babbling like a school girl. But technically, she was the age of a school girl so he'd let it pass.

Zack nodded, in slight awe, as he came to the realisation that he was indeed sprawled out amongst pleasant smelling flowers. Taking a deep breath in, Zack sighed before jumping back to his feet.

Tseng rolled his eyes at Zack's bigoted behaviour.

 _Zack needs to learn the meaning of discretion_.

Letting this gaze trail back towards Aerith, Tseng's eyes softened as he took in the look of cheery awe on her face.

After a few moments of watching the two interact from the shadows, Tseng looked over his shoulder and noticed that Clarissa- their shotgun specialist- was standing at attention behind him with a sad smile on her face.

"She's falling for him. She doesn't even know he's the one who makes ShinRa's rape of the Planet possible." Tseng turned towards his subordinate with a stern frown set on his lips.

"It is not the place of a Turk to question the will of the company." Tseng reprimanded. Clarissa sighed and swiped are caramel coloured bangs away from her eyes before making direct eye contact with her superior.

"Shotgun doesn't give a damn about the Planet, so long as her pocket's full of money and her table is full of food," Clarissa began, gesturing to herself with serious eyes. "But Clarissa doesn't like what's going on with the mako energy one bit. Clarissa… _the human side of me_ … she'd rather starve on the lush grasslands outside Kalm than ensure ShinRa's plans are all carried out quickly and efficiently." Clarissa admitted.

After a few moments, Tseng nodded.

"Tseng's a company man. Takeshi Sanada… _my past self_ … he desperately longs to inhale the scent of the Wutaian bamboo shoots that sprout exclusively in spring. He feels stifled in Midgar." Clarissa's lips turned upwards into a smile.

"Wutai's fighting tooth and nail against ShinRa. You should join them."

Tseng shook his head as he looked over his shoulder towards Aerith and Zack Fair, who were wrapping up their conversation.

Aerith looked happy.

Tseng couldn't help but smile slightly at the sight.

"No, my place is here." Clarissa looked past Tseng and nodded in acceptance.

"I guess it is. Aerith's a lucky girl- everyone wants to protect her." Tseng turned towards the young Turk and offered her a rare show of physical support by gently clapping his hand upon her shoulder and squeezing gently.

"You're pretty lucky too- you earned yourself a new rag tag family who'd fight to the death to keep you safe." Tseng released Clarissa's shoulder and sent one last glance at Aerith before turning to leave.

Clarissa let out a small sigh and nodded as she assumed Tseng's spot in the shadows.

She raised her eyebrows as she noticed Aerith make her way quietly towards her current hiding spot after Zack had left.

In her hands, she carried a simply white and yellow bouquet.

She placed it down on a nearby church pew and turned around, speaking loudly to the seemingly empty room.

"I'll protect you too. I'll protect all of you. I promise."

Clarissa would never admit that she shed a few tears in the shadows that day as she clutched onto Aerith's kind gift, her heart warm and reassured.

* * *

 **Note:  
** Not much to say about this other than Clarissa is from my other fic, Like a Moth to Flame- that's the name I gave her. Takeshi Sanada is the name I gave to Tseng- all Turks have a code-name and I always felt that 'Tseng' couldn't possibly have been his birth name :P That would be too dangerous to use, in his line of work! Takeshi means _'fierce' or 'violent'-_ and hence is a popular name for warriors :) So I thought it fit Tseng well :D Hope you enjoyed the chapter and please to leave a comment if you can spare the time :D


	5. Empty

**A.N: _Another update- I wrote this just after I posted the last chapter, so I guess I wrote this in the last hour HAHAHA! I watched the ending of Crisis Core to get some inspiration and goodness- this was supposed to be centered around Aerith's last letter to Zack BUT it ended up being a Turk Angst fest!_**

 ** _Womble, I present to you my Turk-centric fic LOL! I wanted this to be more about Aerith initially but then the Turks kept doing awesome things in my head LMAO!_**

 ** _Enjoy the read everyone! :)_**

* * *

 **Chapter Five: Empty**

* * *

Tseng held onto a bundle of hand-written letters in his hands, his long silky hair flowing over his shoulders- loose from his neat up-do.

He clutched the letters tighter in his grasp as Cissnei walked into his new office, her lips set in a firm line.

"The target… he's been…" Cissnei's voice wavered slightly as she bit her lip to stabilize herself. "Zack's dead. There's no sign of Cloud Strife," Cissnei whispered brokenly.

Usually Tseng would berate his Turks for showing emotion during briefings, but this situation was very different. Tseng hummed in acknowledgement, throwing protocol to the air.

"I'm sorry Cissnei, you really cared for him…" Cissnei whimpered, but remained standing stock still, as straight as a board. Even with tears streaming down her rosy complexion, she still clenched her fists to her sides.

"I think Aerith knows. It hasn't stopped raining since he went," Cissnei looked up at her new boss and tried to hold in a sorrowful sob. "I feel so bad." Cissnei's russet coloured eyes landed on the bundle of letters in Tseng's hands. Noticing her gaze, Tseng let out a small sigh and threw the letters onto his new desk in defeat. "She never stopped believing in him. Even though she stopped writing him, she always believed he'd come back to her," Cissnei sniffled, and finally brought one of her fists up to wipe at her eyes and face.

Tseng studied his young subordinate for a moment before averting his gaze.

"Eighty eight letters. Unconditional prayer and devotion. So much love for a good man who got caught up in something twisted." Tseng spoke, his deep voice filled with regret. "I couldn't protect her. How could I protect her from falling in love?" Tseng let out a humourless chuckle. "I'd have been a fool if I ever tried."

Cissnei hiccupped and stepped towards her boss, a sad look on her youthful face.

"Love is poison." Tseng looked up and regarded his subordinate with a critical gaze.

"Cissnei?" The young woman shook her head and smiled briefly.

"He was heading back to Midgar when he died. He wanted to take him with her. He wanted to… show her the sky," Cissnei spoke, her voice now steady. Tseng nodded, his chest feeling constricted as he remembered Zack's promise to a scared Aerith.

" _I'll show you the sky. Not the Midgar one- but a real blue sky. I promise._ "

" _Really? I don't know if I can…_ "

" _Don't worry. I'll be there, right next to you! I'll keep you safe!_ "

" _You promise?_ "

" _Of course! I promise to_ _always_ _protect you! Until death, and even beyond- if that's even possible…_ "

"… _You're terrible!_ "

Tseng sighed again and regarded the sealed package on his desk with a calculating gaze.

So many words left unspoken. So many triumphs and successes left unseen. So much happiness left unfelt.

"Burn them." Cissnei started at Tseng's sudden order.

"What? But sir…" Tseng glared at Cissnei, regarding her for a full minute before he broke eye contact with the shocked girl and turned his back to her.

"The letters were for Zack. Zack's dead. There is no point in keeping them." Cissnei frowned at her boss and shook her head in silent defiance before turning on her heel and heading for the door.

She wasn't going to be the one to destroy evidence of Zack and Aerith's sweet story.

If Tseng wanted to erase the painful failure from their record, then he'd have to do it himself.

Cissnei wanted to remember.

She wanted to remember the empty feeling that came with the bitter taste of failing to save a dear friend.

Aerith's letters were proof of that failure.

Tseng would never burn them. He'd never get rid of them.

They were safe.

The token to remind the Turks of their failed mission- the one mission that actually mattered- would remain amongst them until they'd atoned for their sins.

Cissnei didn't bother wiping her tears from her cheeks as she walked along the hallway, towards the elevator.

She's wear her tears of failure for the world to see.

She owed Zack and Aerith that much, at least.

* * *

Aerith clasped her hands in silent prayer as she tilted her head up to the sky with sad eyes.

"I hope you found your way to your Promised Land. I hope you're with your friend again. I hope you weren't alone when you died. I hope you didn't hurt too much before you joined the Lifestream." Aerith sniffled slightly as she continued her prayers.

"I hope you got my last letter… and I hope you know how much I miss you. But… we'll see each other again someday- and then you can take me to see the sky. And not the Midgar sky, but the _real_ sky!" Aerith smiled sadly before lowering her head back down.

Her eyes caught sight of a flicker of tell-tale red and she took in a shaky breath before taking a tentative step forward.

"Reno?" Aerith called hesitantly, her voice thick with emotion.

Reno frowned, his guilt unresolved as he regarded the small, pink-clad woman from the shadows.

"You know I'm not supposed to talk to you," Reno reminded her weakly. Aerith took his tone as incentive to make her way closer.

"I feel like… I don't know what to do. I want to get angry, I want to be sad and cry. But I can't bring myself to do that. Zack… wouldn't want that." Reno sighed as Aerith finally stepped into the shadows and tucked herself beside her long-time friend.

"You're gonna get me into shit, ya know?" Aerith frowned and leaned her head against Reno's shoulder, smiling slightly as she noticed he put up no physical fight to get her away from him.

"Tseng will understand." Aerith murmured before she closed her eyes and inhaled Reno's scent.

He smelt of cigarettes, gun powder and something spicy and masculine. Aerith leaned further in and sniffed at the familiar spicy scent.

Her eyes watered as the scent brought back vivid images of Zack's brilliant smile as he leaned forward to give her a closer look at his beautiful sky-blue eyes.

"Zack wore the same cologne." Aerith whispered, her tears spilling over as she sat still. Reno regarded her face from his peripheral vision and frowned as he noticed her tears.

"I ain't gonna go changin' it for ya doll. It's not like I beckoned ya hither or anything. You came yourself." Aerith frowned and pulled back from Reno, wiping her tears away as she regarded Reno with a sad frown.

"You're being mean… is it because you're sad too?" Reno shrugged and reached forward to pull his target back towards him, feeling lonely without her at his side.

He needed the cuddles just as much as she did.

"Kinda… this is my first failed mission, yo. Feels shit." Aerith nodded.

"Did you… see him? Aerith winced as she imagined a bloodied up Zack on the dusty terrain of the outskirts. Zack would always tell her how terrible it would be to die there, with dust stuck up your nose.

"Nah, seems like he joined the Lifestream as soon as he croaked—" Reno gasped suddenly and swore under his breath before turning to the small woman beside him and smiling apologetically. "Sorry doll, don't mean no disrespect, yo." Aerith shook her head and turned back to looking at her flowers through the shadows.

"It's okay- I'm glad he had someone to guide him. That makes me feel better. Thank you Reno." Aerith looked up at the outrageous Turk and smiled charmingly at him. Reno blinked a couple of times before returning a confused grin at her.

"No worries- any time doll. Though, I'm kinda disappointed. You sure you don't want some steamy mourning sex with ya boy Reno? I'll make it worth your while!" Aerith gasped and immediately scrambled away from the chuckling Turk, blushing as she did so.

"Reno! You're terrible, and gross!" Reno smiled and winked at the lively sight that we Aerith Gainsborough.

That was much better.

"Hey, you're the one who came onto me! I was just offering some loving," Aerith scoffed softly before breaking into a smile and walking out of the shadows, turning her forest green eyes back towards the sky.

Only this time, they were shining with mirth.

"Don't worry Zack, Reno's just kidding. Until I see you again… I'll have my friends and flowers to keep me company. You just take care of yourself, okay?"

Reno folded his arms and stepped out of his hiding spot for the first time in years and turned his head up to the skies, just as Aerith did.

"Zack, don't get pissed off at me if your girl pounces me. She had a crush on me for _ages_!" Aerith frowned and shook her head at the sky.

"I was little! Don't believe him Zack!" Reno smirked and glanced at his charge out of the corner of his eye. He felt a swell of pride go through him as the young girl he regarded as a little sister appeared before him as a beautiful, pink flower maiden.

As Reno watched Aerith converse one-sidedly with the sky, he thought of his new boss and broke into a genuine smile.

' _Boss man did well. She'll be fine_.'

* * *

 **Note:  
** I always imagined Aerith knew Zack died, and she would have one-sided conversations as she'd look upwards because she thought Zack's eyes looked like the sky. And so, looking at the sky- in her cute mind- would be like looking into Zack's eyes. Kinda... *hides away from the confused people reading this note*- hope you enjoy the fast updates :D


	6. Catch Me If You Can

**A.N: _Another update! This time, we fast forward and delve into Cloud and Aerith's story :D With a splice of Tseng and Reno! Writing Zack and Aerith makes me waaay too emotional... don't worry though- there will be plenty of Zack and Aerith in Like a Moth to Flame xD It's all coming soon!_**

 ** _Without further ado, I present Chapter Six!_**

 ** _Enjoy!_**

* * *

 **Chapter Six: Catch Me if You Can**

* * *

The infamous flower girl of the slums stood before the rubble with a look of shock on her face, blinking in disbelief at the pile of rubble that now lay in the place of the Sector Five reactor base. She'd heard children screaming in fright, and against her better judgment, she ran towards the commotion with her flower basket in tow.

She now stood before the newly blown up reactor, watching as a handsome blond man wearing what seemed to be a modified SOLDIER uniform trudged his way away from the huge mess. His face was covered in soot and his hair stuck up at odd angles.

He carried a very familiar sword.

Aerith shook thoughts of Zack Fair out of her mind and planted a rehearsed smile on her lips as the young man approached her. He looked to be about her age, give or take a couple of years.

"Would you like a flower? Only one gil each," Aerith chirped, tilting her head to the side in an innocent gesture. Aerith's proposition was met with a frown. Nonetheless, the man approached her warily.

"Flowers? In the slums?" He asked, bewildered.

The man's voice was quiet- despite his rugged appearance, he was very soft spoken. Nothing like Zack…

Aerith chided herself in her mind.

Why was she making such comparisons anyways?

Looking into the man's clear, mako enhanced eyes, Aerith was hit with a sense of dejavu. They were so clear and bright- like Zack's… but they didn't hold the same optimism and love of life. No… this man was troubled and suffering- even if he didn't know it himself.

Aerith sighed a little before plucking a flower out of her basket, making sure it was a shade of yellow that would go well with his brilliant, straw coloured hair before extending the flower in his direction.

"They only grow in the church. Go on, take one!" the man regarded her with a suspicious look before he reached out and plucked the flower gently out of her hands. Holding the stem in his gloved fingers, the troubled man let his eyes meet hers before he nodded in thanks.

He then stepped around the maiden in pink and made his way towards the Sector 7 slums, his head tilted down as he gazed at the flower in his hands with a thoughtful expression on his softened features.

Aerith let her shoulders slump slightly as she watched the blond SOLDIER walk away.

Her eyes remained glued to the Buster Sword that was holstered on his back.

* * *

Tseng couldn't help but frown as he watched a very familiar scene play out before his eyes in Aerith's church.

A young man, clad in what appeared to be a SOLDIER uniform, lay sprawled amongst the flowers after falling through the failing rafters. Tseng frowned at Aerith's slight startle before she let out a loud breath and made her way towards the blond man who'd fallen amongst her flowers.

"Hello? Are you okay?" Aerith called tentatively. Tseng's frown deepened as he watched the man struggle a bit before he sat up with a dazed look on his boyish features.

"Where… am I?" the man asked in a groggy voice as he caught sight of the pink-clad woman standing a few feet away. Tseng let out a sigh of relief.

At least this guy wasn't an excessive flirt.

"Church in the slums. You landed in my flowers Mister," Aerith placed her hands on her hips, a slight frown marring her face- though Tseng knew she was only joking. "Usually, people are more careful with flowers! They're a commodity here, you know?" Tseng watched as the young man's expression changed from dazed to regretful in a mere moment.

Was the guy _really_ SOLDIER?

"I'm sorry. I don't really remember how I got here…" Aerith's mock angered expression warped into one of worry as she knelt down beside the young man and pointed up at the hole in the rafters. The man followed the direction of her gesture and raised his eyebrows. "Are you sure this place is safe?" he asked incredulously. Aerith shrugged.

"I'm not too sure any more. This is the _second_ time a SOLDIER's fallen off the plate and through my roof," Tseng smirked as he noticed the man had the decency to look sheepish as he raised his hand and rubbed at the back of his head.

"Ah… I remember now. Sorry again," the blond man apologised yet again. Aerith stood from her spot next to him and frowned in disapproval.

"Stop that- there's no need to be sorry! It couldn't be helped," Aerith offered her hand to the man, a small and reassuring smile on her face. "Come on, the flowers don't like being squished for so long. I'm Aerith, by the way…" the man warily accepted Aerith's help, grasping lightly onto her small, yet strong hand, and allowing himself to be pulled off the precious blooms.

"Cloud Strife." He answered quietly. Tseng's eyes widened at the name.

That was the cadet Zack lost his life for.

Tseng regarded the two church dwellers with a critical eye as they exchanged words between each other. It seemed that Cloud Strife had no recollection of Zack or his sacrifice.

Something about that little fact made Tseng's blood boil.

Zack deserved better.

A quiet beep from his PHS brought him out of his reverie as he read the message he'd just received. Frowning slightly, he turned towards the front of the church and spied Reno and his reinforcements leisurely making their way into the church.

It was time…

He couldn't stop Aerith's capture any longer- the company was getting desperate.

With one last glance at Aerith over his shoulder, Tseng's heart felt lighter as he caught sight of Cloud Strife's protective stance in front of the alarmed flower girl.

… he'd forgive him if he did a good job of protecting Aerith.

* * *

"Yo, Aerith… I don't wanna hurt ya. Just come quietly, will ya?" Reno drawled, looking bored. Aerith shook her head, her eyes wide as she retreated behind her new protector.

"Reno, leave! I won't go with you!" Aerith cried out from behind Cloud. Cloud's gaze narrowed at the untidily dressed Turk and his infantryman reinforcements.

Reno smirked at Cloud and raised his eyebrows.

"You got yourself a new boy toy, Aerith? It's about time you got over—"

"I didn't." Aerith interrupted, her fists clenched on either side of her body. Reno scoffed and nodded before assessing Cloud's protective stance.

"Right… I guess Mister Hero here's gonna get a good ass whooping today from your truly. After that, Aerith- you're ShinRa's bitch." Aerith's eyes watered as she took in the ruthless image of Reno the Turk.

"I don't believe you… what happened to you?" Reno shrugged, nonchalantly as he raised his EMR in an attack stance.

"I'm on a mission. One failure's enough…" Reno trailed off, a sad tinge in his tone before he shook his head and resumed smirking cockily.

Cloud frowned and reached for his sword and pulled it in front of him. Aerith let out a disappointed gasp.

He held the sword differently.

Maybe… this was all just a coincidence. Maybe Cloud just had the same sword as Zack…

Maybe that's where the similarities ended.

Aerith shook her head and brought out her retractable rod and pulled it to full length. She got into a defensive stance and glared at Reno with determination in her forest green eyes.

"Prepare to add a second failure to your impeccable record then," Aerith glanced at Cloud from the corner of her eye and nodded reassuringly before bringing her rod up in front of her body.

"Catch me if you can."

* * *

 **Note:** If you haven't already noticed the trend, a lot of these chapter titles are inspired by Girls' Generation's songs xD *yes, I'm a fan! I hear they've come back with a new song! But I won't watch the music video until tomorrow xD* Hope this chapter was enjoyable and entertaining. Let me know what you think of it below if you can spare a few words :D


	7. Selfish

**A.N: _Sorry for the delay in updates! University is about to start and I still have three chapters of this story to complete! Eeek! I got waaaay too caught up in saving souls in Lightning Returns, and then I went to town on Bhunivelze (is that how you spell it?) and watched the secret ending and cried happy tears! And then I got super inspired to write a fic, but realised I have too many on-going projects posted here to start posting a new one without getting overwhelmed! So I decided to finish this fic, and then continue on with Like a Moth to Flame for the time being :P Sorry again for the late update despite being on holidays and I hope you enjoy!_**

 ** _Thanks and sorry dear Womble- I'll try my best to not procrastinate any more on these fics :O_**

* * *

 **Chapter Seven: Selfish**

* * *

Aerith was not one of those girls she'd seen so often in the slums who would drape themselves over the many handsome, strong men who ambled into Wall Market to procure wares from the black market. She left that kind of cheap behaviour to those who no doubt ended up being employed by the Honey Bee Inn. She was completely dedicated to her dead SOLDIER boyfriend, after all.

The flower girl cringed at the bitter taste her thoughts left in her mouth. Chancing a glance at the blond SOLDIER who walked by her side through the grasslands, Aerith could feel her cheeks grow hot with both excitement and shame.

She felt excited because she hadn't felt the thrill of being close to someone she admired immensely for such a long time. But… her forest green gaze travelled hesitantly towards the repressed young martial artist who offered her so much warmth and respect despite feeling so strongly for the very man Aerith began to grow too close to- and she felt the shame creep up again.

Cloud Strife was _not_ for her.

Aerith shook her head and kept her hands folded together in front of her as the party walked closer to the swamp. Thoughts of being gobbled up alive by the Midgar Zolom seemed much more appealing than spending another moment in the silent push and pull relationship that had formed between the blond mercenary and the brunette flower girl.

Especially when Tifa would look over and smile at them so forlornly, as if she'd already given up on who was rightfully hers.

Aerith frowned and slowed her pace, so that she was no longer walking beside Cloud. He, of course, noticed her change of pace immediately and turned to question her in his soft spoken voice.

"You okay, Aerith?" Cloud asked, concern lacing his voice. Aerith felt a sharp tinge of guilt pierce through her chest as she conveniently recalled how Tifa had unsuccessfully attempted to hide a rather nasty scrape on her upper arm with a spare rag from her pack. Cloud hadn't even stopped to ask Tifa if she was alright to continue powering through the countless battles they faced during their journey to the swamp marshlands.

Aerith felt terrible.

"I'm fine- thanks for asking," Aerith almost frowned at her high pitched, girlish reply. Casting a glance over her shoulder, she felt overcome by sadness as she spied Tifa sending her an unmasked look of concern.

"We can stop if you're tired. We've been moving for a while now…" Tifa offered kindly. Cloud frowned at the younger woman's suggestion.

"That's just wasting time, Teef. We've got to keep pushin', or Sephiroth's gonna commit another 'Nibelheim' on some other backwater town." Cloud argued, his tone rising. Aerith caught Tifa rubbing at her covered arm as she nodded with a determined look on her face.

"Yeah, you're right… sorry Cloud." Cloud nodded in dismissal before turning back to the front of the group and jogging towards a loudly complaining Barret Wallace.

Aerith sighed and shrugged her shoulders before making her way towards Tifa, who was now evidently limping.

"You look like you need some rest," Aerith chided softly as she linked arms with the beautiful martial artist. Tifa's eyes widened slightly before she let out an embarrassed laugh.

"Oh, that. It's just a scrape! And I've just jarred my leg from that last manoeuvre I pulled in that last encounter." Aerith frowned as she readied her staff to heal her younger friend. She took in the tired visage of Tifa's form and let out a small sight before casting Cure on the dark brunette maiden.

"Do you feel better now?" Tifa grinned impishly before nodded as she shook out her leg and stretched her arm.

"Yeah, it really does!" Tifa turned to Aerith, her radiant smile almost blinding the older woman. "Thanks Aerith, I can always count on you to patch me up when I need it!" Tifa exclaimed happily before pulling Aerith along energetically.

Aerith couldn't help but notice that Tifa actively avoided making any sort of contact with Cloud on their trek to the edge of the marshlands.

After a few moments of silent, seemingly happy skipping beside Tifa, Aerith sighed and stopped in her tracks.

It was wrong… it was all wrong. Even as Tifa held onto her hand, as she smiled and joked and laughed with her… all Aerith could think about was Cloud and whether he was thinking of her at that very moment.

Aerith felt cheap… and dirty.

Like those girls in the slums.

Before Aerith could begin to wallow in her own self-pity, the very subject of her woes turned and flashed her a rare smile.

With an uncharacteristic urge of selfishness, Aerith Gainsborough actively ignored Tifa's minutely tightening grip as she waved back cheerily.

When Cloud smirked back over his shoulder before turning back to the front, Aerith realised that she couldn't bring herself to care that Tifa seemed to have lost her smile for the rest of that afternoon and evening.

It wasn't like she'd actively enticed Cloud in any way… and Zack had been gone for ages.

She couldn't just stay alone for the rest of her existence. Not when Cloud was making her want to _live_ again.

With a deep intake of air, Aerith purposefully turned to Tifa and ignored the sharp pain of remorse that cut into her very being as Tifa's hurt gaze rested upon her smiling face.

Aerith couldn't pretend anymore.

She couldn't pretend that she didn't like Cloud's attention.

She couldn't just pretend she didn't notice how Cloud treated her better.

She couldn't pretent to play the ignorant fool just to save Tifa's feelings.

For now, she had to confide in Cloud.

For he allowed her to think she was capable of living happily once again.

"Cloud looks like he's got something on his mind. I'm going to go to him," Aerith chirped, almost faltering as Tifa quickly schooled her features into a fake brightness that Midgar's flower girl had seen so often on their short journey.

"Oh yeah, looks like he's been wanting to talk for a while now. Something's on his mind…" Tifa trailed off sadly before she shook her head in a daze. "Don't keep Mr. SOLDIER waiting, then! And thanks again Aerith, for being here." Tifa finished quietly, though her wine coloured irises shone genuinely.

Not able to stand the younger woman's selfless nature any longer, Aerith turned away from her and jogged lightly towards Cloud- forgetting her feelings of angst as soon as clear blue eyes made contact with a bright forest green.

* * *

 **Note:  
** I always thought that Aerith was well aware Tifa liked Cloud and she still actively flirted with him ONLY because Cloud reminded her so much of Zack. And I can't hate her for that, even though it may seem like I'm bashing her- let's get real: everyone has a selfish and dark side and all's fair in love and war. Cloud liked Aerith and Aerith liked Cloud and Tifa, unfortunately, was the outside party. No Tifa bashing intended here either- I'm just trying to portray the complexity of this love triangle and I do feel I have completely failed so please, flame away LOL. This angsty romance is what I need to work on :/


	8. Sacrifice

**A.N: _Short but effective chapter up next. It's all about Aerith's motivations behind her actions leading up to the summoning of Holy. As you can see, a lot of this is now Aerith-centric! LOL, so I guess this isn't my Turk fic? *confused Moosh*. Anyhow, I hope this is entertaining/angsty enough. It's a little muddled and I apologise for that- I am focusing on conveying Aerith's story and I have a way of over-humanising characters to the point they are OOC :/_**

* * *

 **Chapter Eight: Sacrifice**

* * *

One shy glance at a time, Aerith Gainsborough realised that she was falling madly in love with Cloud Strife- the young man who was tasked with being Zack Fair's living legacy. And with each step towards the deceptively beautiful City of the Ancients, Aerith came to realise that her feelings for Cloud were true, grown up feelings of love.

All because she was willing to let him go, if only to spare him the pain of losing her.

Because after their visit to Cosmo Canyon, after pondering and wracking her brains for nights on end, her answers came to her in a lucid dream.

" _Join the Lifestream. Summon Holy, and be the hero I couldn't be._ "

That night, Aerith had woken up in a cold sweat. She had heard the sorrowful voice of none other than Zack Fair. He'd sounded so miserable and tired. He was quite literally the ghost of a past long gone.

Beside her, Cloud was also roused from his sleep. Blinking blearily, he set his disoriented gaze on her as he reached out with gentle hands.

"Nightmare?" Aerith shuddered, but shook her head in denial.

"No, I was startled… that's all. I'm okay now- go back to sleep Cloud." The blond SOLDIER nodded before squeezing her small hand in his grasp before tucking it against his chest and nodding of once again. Aerith couldn't help the small smile her lips broke in to.

She'd always known she'd be happier in a relationship where _she_ was the one taking care of the other. After living a helpless life, she wanted to be the one to protect those she loved at least once.

It was at that moment, where she sat in her bed roll with Cloud's hand clutching at hers that she realised that her time to protect what and who was precious to her had come.

And so, she had promised herself then and there- just before laying back down in her bed roll between Cloud and Yuffie (who had just recently joined the party after numerous successful attempts of stealing their gil)- that she'd split from the group the moment they entered the sleeping forest.

Because it _had_ to be her. There was no use telling the others and making them worry. She knew what she had to do, and she knew how to do it.

Aerith sighed sadly as she snuggled up to Cloud, taking in the warmth of his embrace for what could be the very last time for a long time.

She'd do it… for him.

* * *

Aerith could feel Cloud moving closer, his blade raised high in the air as he fought with his body to pull it away from her. Still, Aerith continued to kneel and pray.

The flower girl couldn't think of a more romantic way to go, if she were being completely honest with herself. The man she loved with all her heart was about to spill her blood while she trustingly let him do so… it seemed to almost be a scene out of Loveless!

The last Ancient kept her eyes closed as she continued to pray and communicate with the Planet. She could feel Cloud's gentle, yet conflicted aura, get tangled with the hostile urge to spill blood. But still, Aerith forced herself to stay still.

Aerith had no time to fear the rushing darkness that shot down towards her from above before an excruciating numbness claimed her being from behind. Her eyes shot open and she stared up in horror for a split second at an equally horrified Cloud before she lost all feeling and floated above the scene that played out.

She winced at the dead body that was her own tangible vessel, sprawled violently across the blue-white marble alter before Sephiroth himself. Aerith frowned as she allowed her spirit to float around to face Sephiroth.

The man was only a shadow of his past self.

It was hard to tell if the being before her was a man at all.

Her pondering was cut off at the anguished scream of none other than Cloud Strife. Whirling around, Aerith recoiled as she saw the utter grief that claimed the younger man's features, watching as he fell to his knees and leaned his head against her bloodied torso.

Aerith screwed her eyes shut and let herself be pulled to her Promised Land, not able to watch her love suffer for her any longer.

 _I did it for you… I had to protect you. Please… I promise you I'll come back once it's all over. It will all be okay. I swear._

* * *

 **Note:** I am not a Clerith shipper, but I had many Clerith feels when I wrote this chapter. I always thought that Aerith and Cloud did love each other, despite being a strong CloTi shipper. Plus, it's canon! Square Enix apparently ships Clerith more than CloTi :O Plus, as I write this, I am gaining a very strong appreciation for Aerith and her character's complexity. Writing this makes me want to write a Yuna/Tidus fic about all the angst I feel the couple should feel in the supposed FFX-3 :P (which I dub: _Final Fantasy: Sin Returns_ \- geddit? Lightning Returns... Sin Returns? Okay... no... LOL).


	9. His Promised Land

**A.N: _Another update! Churned out three chapters before bed tonight/day! That's a record! Wish me luck for the first day of semester later today :D Warning: this chapter is terribly bitter. The characters may be OOC. But... human condition! We're all like that when we are pushed to be... Enjoy! :)_**

* * *

 **Chapter Nine: His Promised Land**

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The threat of Meteor was gone. Sephiroth had been defeated. Cid and Shera were getting married. Barret found and oil field, giving the world a new source of energy to utilise. Rufus Shinra and his Turks were working towards building a new ShinRa Company for the people. Tifa owned her own bar in the new settlement they called Edge and Marlene was happily lending a hand to Tifa and cheering on the adults around her as they worked hard to restore the world to a better state than it was before. Yuffie was back in Wutai, terrorising her father, Lord Godo Kisaragi- as usual. Nanaki roamed Cosmo Canyon and the nearby wildlands in search for a mate.

The whole gang had moved on with their lives, with thin pink ribbons tied on their person as a reminder of the cost of their peacetime.

Only one remained drowning in a sea of never ending sorrow as he wasted his days away tending to the ever-glowing flowers that grew in a dilapidated church.

Cloud Strife was unable to live with the guilt of her death. Aerith could no longer ignore his suffering… not when he was hurting so badly.

Just as she was about to reach out to his aura, to soothe him into a calm state, Zack Fair's worried tone knocked her wandering mind back to place.

"He's going to use Jenova… the last bit of that parasite… he's sending his remnants to find the damn thing as we speak. After that… when Seph appears again- his final defeat will cleanse his soul and he can finally rest." Zack explained quietly as he gazed down at his sorrowful friend in the familiar church. Turning to his only love, Zack couldn't help but feel slightly betrayed as he caught a look of longing wash over Aerith's features. However, Zack shook his head and forced his lips into a grin as he poked Aerith's side.

Aerith turned to the raven haired SOLDIER and frowned in annoyance.

"That's annoying." Zack frowned and placed his hands on his hips as he regarded the pink-clad woman who still adorned her hair with his tattered pink ribbon.

"You used to laugh when I did that," Zack murmured. Aerith sighed and shrugged her shoulders before turning and walking away from him.

"I guess I changed…" Aerith replied back, trailing off as she walked towards her meadow of flowers. Zack followed her, not able to hide the wounded look that overcame his features.

"You still wear my ribbon. And you're dressed entirely in pink. Is it because..?"

"No," Aerith cut Zack off abruptly, a sad smile on her face as she regarded her past lover with a look of pity. "I'm sorry Zack. I'm not the Aerith you once knew." Zack's shoulders drooped as Aerith spoke frankly to him. His mind flashed back to his conflict with Sephiroth- back when he'd practically signed his death sentence. He'd said similar words to a crazed Hero once…

"I guess not." Zack heaved a sigh before he forced himself to smile brightly as he stretched and promptly began to do some squats as Aerith tended to her flowers.

After a few moments of listening to Zack's huffing and grunting as he exercised, Aerith stood and made her way towards the big man.

"Zack…?" Zack immediately stopped moving and eagerly moved to face the delicate waif of a woman who stood in spirt form a few paces from him.

"Yeah? What's up?" Zack prompted eagerly. Aerith sighed and ran a hand through her bangs before levelling Zack with a pointed look.

"What are you doing here?" Zack grinned and gestured at himself playfully.

"Well, I died around eight or nine years ago and I returned back to the Lifestream- as I should have. Why?" Zack jested lightly. Aerith couldn't help but giggle in exasperation before shaking her head.

"No, that's not what I meant! You're terrible…" Aerith trailed off, as she recalled that time she'd first met Zack… on her first date with him when he'd been so close to claiming her lips before she pushed him away and laughed bashfully as she told him the exact same thing.

Zack smiled gently and crossed his arms in front of his muscled chest, looking oddly proud of himself.

"At least I know I can still make you laugh," Zack pointed out gently. Aerith returned a hesitant smile to him.

"You know what I mean. Where's your Promised Land? Why aren't you there?" Aerith asked, confused. She imagined Zack's Promised Land to but full of gym equipment and video games and pretty women. Why would he bother spending all his time at her side when all of _that_ was possibly waiting for him?

Zack opened his mouth, gaped, and closed it again- lost for words- as he looked around Aerith's flower meadow and was drawn back to the portal that showed a hazy version of Cloud tending to Aerith's church flowers. Zack shook his head and turned away from the picture, a strange hollowness filling his heart.

"It wasn't my fault…" Zack muttered quietly. Aerith frowned and stepped towards Zack as she heard his voice break suddenly. Concerned, Aerith reached up and rested her hand on Zack's shoulder.

"It wasn't your fault Cloud had to go through all of that- I know. You did everything you could to protect him, and I am grateful to you for doing so. Zack… you gave me something great and I will always be grateful to you. Don't blame yourself… I never did. Not once." Zack clenched his fists and nodded tightly, refusing to let Aerith see his tears trail down his face.

It just wasn't fair.

Zack took a deep breath and decided to let everything out.

"If I was still alive, I would have never let you die." Aerith gasped at Zack's admission.

"Zack, you know it had to happen…"

"Screw that! If I were alive in place of Cloud, you'd be alive and well and we'd be married and we'd have a family and everything would be fine. I would have hunted down that damn Jenova myself and destroyed it once and for all! Not this damn half-assed job Spike's been doing this whole damn time! Why does he fuckin' deserve so much love when it was _me_ who had everything to lose?!" Zack roared with emotion, his eyes red and tears pouring. Aerith blinked up at Zack in shock before she took in what he said.

Without another moment wasted, Aerith found her palm stinging. She gasped as she took in the red imprint that now adorned Zack's tan cheek.

"Oh… Zack. You… I… I'm sorry. You shouldn't have spoken that way about Cloud. You know… how important he is to me. He was there when I needed someone most. He was there when you weren't. I'm sorry for falling in love. I'm sorry my happiness hurts you!" Aerith apologised with a forceful voice. Zack blinked before nodding silently and bringing up a fist to whip his tears away hastily.

"Yeah. Sorry, I was out of line. It's neither yours not Spike's fault I couldn't survive long enough to come back to you. It was selfish of me to think you'd wait all this time for me." Aerith nodded, smiling sadly at Zack.

"I'm glad you understand." Zack nodded, but remained rooted on the spot. Aerith raised her eyebrows at Zack's behaviour. "Is there anything else?" Zack nodded, gulping.

"This is my Promised Land," Zack chuckled dryly, lacking humour. "More like a curse, really… I died trying to get back to Midgar to see you. My only desire was to be with you again. I waited for you… and now I'm stuck here. I guess I deserve it- I am SOLDIER after all… a monster." Zack frowned, scratching the back of his head before turning and heading away.

Aerith could only watch Zack walk away, feeling both remorse and happiness.

Remorse for not being the girl Zack had thought her to be.

Happiness, in knowing that there was once a man who had loved and trusted her to much that he entrusted his soul to her for Eternity.

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 **Note:** This... is my headcanon as to why Zack still hangs around with Aerith even though Square Enix claims that Cloud and Aerith are canon :P Leave me a review letting me know if you agree/disagree/other :D


	10. Hello, Goodbye

**A.N: _Hi everyone, it's been a while *hides from the annoyed glares* I admit I was a little lazy and literally took a month off after exams to just wind down and not do anything requiring effort, including writing fanfiction (blasphemy, I know). I've actually had this chapter ready for over four months *ducks as a tomato is pelted my way*- so I hope you enjoy the finale of A Flower in the Slums! :D  
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 **Chapter Ten: Hello, Goodbye**

At first glance, most thought that Tifa Lockheart was the type of woman who could get any man she desired with only one coy look from her enticing wine coloured eyes. Aerith had very much thought the same as she travelled alongside who she had thought to be a young woman full of worldly knowledge.

Funnily enough, in her death, Aerith had found out the truth about her seemingly 'perfect' friend who had accompanied and supported her throughout their journey to the City of the Ancients wasn't as perfect as she had perceived her to be.

When Aerith had openly responded to Cloud's advances, she had come to the conclusion that Tifa wasn't one of those girls who would do _anything_ to get the man who she desired. That was what made her sacrifice all the more meaningful.

She'd selfishly taken Tifa's love from her… but in the end, she was sure she had sacrificed more than enough in the name of love and friendship.

Aerith was brought out of her reverie by a satisfied sigh that sounded from right beside her. Zack stood beside her, looking upon their friends who had defeated the last of Sephiroth's surviving hatred of the world from the doors of Aerith's old church.

"Tifa's one hell of a woman. She never stopped loving Cloud," Zack shot a meaningful look in Aerith's direction and crossed his arms in front of his chest as he watched the rag-tag group who called themselves AVALANCHE celebrate the cure of the deadly Geostigma virus.

Aerith smiled wanly and nodded in agreement.

"She's always been firm about what she wants. Still, she was a little bit introverted when it came to matters of the heart. I'm happy she'd happy." Aerith concluded as she caught Tifa and Cloud exchange sweet smiles as the cured children splashed around their hero, their infectious laughter bringing smiles to all the adults' faces.

Aerith's eyes travelled towards two small children who sat huddled together, away from the celebrations. Her eyes widened as she took in the sight of a young girl who looked much like herself when she was younger. Beside her sat a slightly older boy, with blond spikes messily falling over his intelligent eyes.

They looked like child versions of herself and Cloud. But somehow, the boy reminded her a lot of Zack's mild temperament and hidden intelligence. Aerith noticed Zack's surprised presence beside her, and turned to face him.

With a look of resigned sadness, Aerith spoke quietly.

"I hope they love each other as much as we were supposed to love each other, don't you?" Zack blinked at Aerith and frowned.

"Who said it's all over for us?" Zack questioned. Aerith blinked and shrugged as she stepped towards the young couple who sat side by side. As they saw her approaching, the two ceased their conversation and smile up at her.

"You're Miss Aerith, aren't you?" the little girl piped up with a soft-spoken voice. Aerith couldn't help but smile at the sweet girl at her feet. Kneeling down in front of the pair, Aerith nodded.

"That's right. What's your name?" the girl grinned and pointed to herself.

"I'm Cinque!" she turned to the mischievous raven boy beside her and poked him in the wide, inciting a small frown from the boy. "And this is Trey!" the little girl frowned slightly as she reached out for Trey's grimy hand. "We're orphans. We were sick but then Mr. Strife brought us the cure! Trey still hasn't talked yet, but I'm sure he will very soon!" Cinque poked Trey once again, though he merely smiled and waved up at Aerith.

Placing a hand on the nape of Trey's fragile neck, Aerith closed her eyes and uttered a prayer before opening them up again and smiling encouragingly.

"Are you okay now?" Trey nodded silently, a small sound of affirmation emanating from his throat. Startled, Trey gasped loudly.

"I… can make sounds again!" the young boy exclaimed rather loudly before throwing his arms around a giggling Cinque.

Aerith almost couldn't suppress the tears that surfaced as Cinque quietly mouthed a grateful 'thank you' to her and Zack as she hugged her friend tightly. Nodding, Aerith stood up and stepped away from the two kids.

On an impulse, Aerith shot one last look at Cloud's general vicinity, only to find him staring right at her with wide, innocent blue eyes.

Funny, how his innocence still remained intact after such a long battle with the products of the Planet's tortured soul.

Aerith smiled and nodded at Cloud, feeling the pull of Zack's warm presence behind her.

Zack was right.

Even though she had previously fallen out of love with him, it didn't mean that their story had to end.

After all, they had all of eternity to get right back on track.

Aerith's smile grew bigger as she raised a hand and waved at Cloud.

"See, I told you. Everything's… alright." Aerith couldn't stop herself from tilting her head innocently, in such a familiar yet long lost gesture, as she regarded Cloud for a long moment before turning towards the man who had given her his very existence.

Aerith found herself falling for the raven SOLDIER all over again, very quickly, as his playfully friendly salute towards Cloud reminded her exactly _why_ she'd loved Zack in the first place.

He was so… simple.

So… paradoxically gentle.

He was kind, yet troublesome. Strong, yet extremely vulnerable.

He was arrogant, yet so very humble.

He was aloof, but all the more endearing because of it.

He was Zack.

Aerith took a deep breath and looked into Zack's sky blue eyes with tenderness, after such a long time of reserving that look for a man who was never hers.

Zack smiled and waited for Aerith to lead him back to the Lifestream, before he stepped into place behind her and walked into a bright light.

Aerith and Zack… truly reunited for eternity.

Just how it should have been.

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 **Note:** This is my first finished story on this website since I started to write fanfiction again. Thanks for reading this short story- it may be a little disjointed, but please do let me know what you think of it! :D

Turk 4 Life (Moosh)


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